Afterglow
by Minosuke Ichigo
Summary: AU. Lulu Bell's attack was successful and has driven the few remaining Black Order members into hiding. Leading the small band of broken heroes against the Noah and Akuma is River Wenhamm. Full Summary inside. CrossRiver ON HOLD WITH INTENT TO CONTINUE
1. Chapter 000: Beginning of Our End

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN D

**DISCLAIMER:** I DON'T OWN D.GRAY-MAN OR ITS CHARACTERS!!

**Story Summary:** AU, two years after Lulubell's attack. The Black Order has been destroyed and the remnants have been forced into hiding to avoid getting wiped out by the Noah. Tiki has switched sides after witnessing the mass destruction and has been helping Rabi through the loss of his only "family" while the others slowly try to regain what they lost. River has taken charge and leads the small group of rebels against the Noah and the Akuma, which have taken over the majority of the world, making the world harsh and difficult to survive in. CrossRiver.

**Chapter Summary: **A prologue.

**A/N –** Okay, it's really sad. The first ever River-centric story I write and it's dark, sad and as depressing as a funeral. Sadly, I think I actually really like this idea and hope to complete it as well as my Melody story.

As you may or may not have guessed, some Exorcists have died, and the heroes are small in number and the war has been tilted in the Noah's favor. Will they win, or will this story end just as depressingly as it's started?

Also, the title "Afterglow" means, according to my dictionary:

"_light glow: radiated light that remains visible after a source of light or energy has been removed, e.g. the glow sometimes seen in the sky after sunset."_

The whole, "A glimmer of hope in the darkest of times" which was _way_ too long for a title, so Afterglow, which seems to have the same meaning in a sense, was a rather fitting one. Of course, this could also mean that the hope was false. You'll just have to wait and see, dear readers.

Hopefully you'll find out, and yes. You DID read the pairing correctly. The crackness continues! Mwhaha!

Enjoy! Oh, and I will be a very happy person if at least one person cries during this story, and don't worry. There'll probably be a few comedic moments to break up the angst.

**Afterglow**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

**Chapter 0 – Beginning of Our End**

The world was once beautiful. In danger, but beautiful nonetheless. There were people, children, animals and happiness, but now, in the shadows of a crumbling, destroyed village, there was nothing but sorrow and a bitter end. The screams had long since faded, leaving only blood stains and crumbled ashes as reminders of what had happened after the fall of the Black Order.

Innocent people died, children were slaughtered and only the lucky few survived. Good people who lived good lives were taken swiftly and without reason from the world, those like the sweetest and kindest of Exorcists. These heroes died protecting those they loved and their graves were hidden away, but there with fresh flowers as often as possible, but they were never mourned. Mourning meant the Earl won.

Tears were shed, but their last wishes were respected and they did not dwell on the loss of their friends.

Crowley and Miranda, two of the bravest, perished saving their friends during Lulubell's attack, and they were buried next to each other, having been their last wish before they were claimed by the cold hands of Death. Bookman had failed in his own way, sacrificing himself for his wayward student. There was nothing left for a grave, but his student made one anyway, slaving over a gravestone for days until it was finally completed with his sweat, blood and tears of anguish.

The most heart wrenching death had been that of Rinali. The girl, injured and unable to activate her Innocence, threw herself into the fray to save her brother from the Akuma and died in his arms. Since then, Komui has been in a catatonic state of shock, unable or unwilling to respond to the world and instead hiding himself in the memories of his sister and the good times he spent with her. He still holds her shattered Innocence close to his heart.

Finders and scientists alike were murdered cruelly and in the most horrendous of ways. A single Noah, sickened by the cruelty of his brethren, helped the remaining Exorcists and humans escape the carnage. He has since stayed near the broken Bookman apprentice in hopes of atoning for the sins he had committed and has sworn his loyalty to the cause of the remaining.

Leading this small band of misfits and strays is River Wenhamm, the once head of the Science Department, but now the caretaker of the last of mankind. He keeps a dim hope alive in the ranks of the dismayed soldiers of humanity, but he knows that unless they can find the missing Generals, their efforts are in vain.


	2. Chapter 001: Reign of Death

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN D

**DISCLAIMER:** I DON'T OWN D.GRAY-MAN OR ITS CHARACTERS!!

**Summary: **During a scouting mission to secure supplies, River and his small cluster of Finders are ambushed by Level Three Akuma and just when they think that the end has come, they're saved by Cross. Upon returning to the underground base, they find out that there are still Innocence in the world and River is compatible with the one Cross was carrying, but will one more Exorcist be enough to save the torn world? CrossRiver

**A/N – **I know, the prologue didn't do anything except get you introduced to the world and the currently deceased Exorcists, but those are important! I mean, you could have skipped it if you wanted to, but then you'd be all like, "Huh? They're dead? When did that happen?" and plus is saves me some time.

Anyway, please enjoy the first official chapter of Afterglow, the darkest story I've EVER written.

**Afterglow**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

**Chapter 001 – Reign of Death (Start)**

The stench was horrible. At one time, he would have been unable to handle the smell of death and burning flesh, but a mere two years had hardened him to it. Not to say that it didn't make him sick to his stomach whenever their search for survivors ended only in a pile of smoldering remains or ashes of the luckiest of the victims.

River covered his mouth with his hand, fighting back bile when one of the Finders unburied the distorted and mutilated body of a child. He heard one of his men, one who was relatively new to field work, surrender and vomit in the background, but River tried not to let the sound or sight get to him. Instead, with a vague hand motion, he moved on to the next site as a Finder carried the body to a growing row of bodies to be buried.

The city had been leveled swiftly and easily by the Akuma and the only things remaining were crumbling shells of buildings, burning embers and charred remains. The sky, darkened by smoke, was pitch black, only the moon visible through the smoke, barely able to light their search, as the humans didn't want to risk being seen by any stray Akuma.

"Sir," River turned to look at the speaker, the Finder that had tossed his lunch. "Do you…really think there'll be any survivors?" The scientist turned away, dropping his gaze to the cracked ground. He wanted to tell the truth, but the truth would only make their future bleaker and harder to face.

Instead, he glanced back at the Finder and smiled weakly, trying hard not to let his sadness show. "Yeah. There's always at least one." Without waiting for a reply, he left, surveying and keeping a look out while the few Finders left searched the ruble.

"Wenhamm, sir!" A Finder waved him over, a look of excitement on his half-hidden face. "We found a survivor!" River was at their side in an instant, kneeling beside the small child. The child, a little girl with dirt smudged on her face, clung to a doll and cried heavily into it, her blonde hair dirty and matted.

"Get a blanket over here!" The Finder ran off, leaving River to try and coax the girl out from her hiding place. He smiled softly, holding out his hand to her as he whispered gently, "It's okay now…we're here to help you." She timidly took his hand, her tiny one shaking in his as he gently tugged her out.

She clung to the front of his lab coat and sobbed quietly into the material. The man smiled weakly and patted her back carefully. When the Finder who had located her returned, he turned his attention to the man and whispered, "Bring Allen. We need to make sure she's—" A gun shot shattered the silence and several yelps of terror escaped the lips of the Finders as one of them burst into shards of black stone, which crumbled as it hit the ground. River ducked low over the child, shielding her from debris as several more shots rang out in the darkness. "Everyone, get down!"

He passed the girl to the Finder next to him, the man taking the silent hint and hunching over as he ran toward a collapsed building to hide in the shadows until the danger passed. River motioned for the others to go, drawing a handgun and crouching behind a piece of what he guessed was an office building, searching for the source of the attack. He swore under his breath when an Akuma's bullet missed him by a mere inch, crashing into a building several feet away. _Shit…where are they? I can't even tell how many there are…!_

"_You're not an Exorcist._" He tensed when a mechanical sounding voice spoke by his ear, something sharp pressing against the small of his back. He swallowed hard, glancing back. The lifeless eyes of a humanoid Akuma with a wide, four sectioned mandible for a mouth grinned at him. The Akuma was, from his experience, a Level Three, not one to be taken lightly.

He tried to come up with a plan, an action, but his body could only tremble in response to anything he thought of. The Akuma laughed harshly at his obvious fear, but quickly looked away when a Finder ran from the hiding spot and yelled, "Get away from him!" River didn't know his name, only his face and the fact that he was young and had a weak stomach. Before the scientist could tell him to run, the Finder dropped, his body twitching as the Akuma withdrew its scythe-like weapon of the human's throat.

The monster was saying something as it stepped forward, bringing its heavy clawed foot over the Finder's head. It stumbled back when River, with a yell, fired a bullet into it's skull as he charged forward, ramming his shoulder into the monster's chest and shoving it back. It wasn't that he was strong. It was mostly because the Akuma hadn't been expecting a physical assault from a mere human armed with a useless handgun.

Its shock passed quickly and it raised its weapon and brought it down at the same time a gunshot rang out. Several Finders yelled out in horror and River expected blinding pain, but when nothing happened, he risked raising his head. The Akuma's head was gone, and a moment later, the monster itself vanished. The scientist dropped to the ground, shaking as the adrenaline passed as he inwardly berated himself for lunging head-first into physical combat with a monster.

"Idiot." The man jerked back to reality and aimed his gun in the direction the voice had come from, but quickly dropped the gun to his side as he dragged himself to his feet.

"G-General Cross?!" The scientist yelped out in shock, wiping his tears away. The red haired man holstered his gun and withdrew a cigarette, sticking it between his lips and lighting it with the lighter he had clutched in his other hand. The Finders and the one child edged from their hiding places. "That…those gunshots…?" The Exorcist raised a hand and rapped his fist against River's forehead.

"Mostly me. Now, boy," River scowled, rubbing his forehead. "What was with you attacking an Akuma?" The General motioned vaguely at the Finder's body. "He was already dead. Why risk it all for a body?"

River glared at Cross and knelt beside the body, staring sadly at the ground. "Shut up. Every life is precious, General…even when it's gone…" He turned his gaze to Cross as he snapped, anger and determination in his eyes, "I'm not letting those monsters take their bodies too!"

Cross watched him quietly with his visible eye, searching the other man's face for anything that rang false. Finding only truth in River's words, he scoffed and looked up at the moon, removing the cigarette and exhaling a breath. "Sentimental…but being sensitive isn't going to help you survive, Squint." He replied calmly, turning away. "There aren't any more survivors." He smirked down at River as the scientist lifted the Finder's body awkwardly and began walking it to the row. "Once you're done playing gravedigger," He heard River growl and only smirked in response. "Let's head back to your base. I think I have some information that will make your dark life a little brighter."

* * *

Cross seemed less than thrilled when he saw just where the small number of survivors of Lulubell's attack survived. A sewer in London wasn't his first choice, but they had, apparently, made it work. The place was a lot cleaner than a sewer should have been, and there were Finders keeping look out, though he also noticed Allen, who seemed leaner and older than he had remembered, patrolling the sewers for any hidden Akuma.

The room they had entered after a series of tests to make sure that the people were indeed human and not Akuma, was large. Not massive, but large enough to commentate the few Finders, humans and scientists. There were four tunnels that connected to the room with signs over them reading: Exorcists Dorm, Survivor Dorm, Medical Ward and Workstation/Briefing Room. A counter was attached to one side of the room with some scattered chairs and Jerry was busy preparing meals. In the center of the room was a stone pedestal with flowers resting at the base.

The Finders with Cross and River hurried toward Jerry and the Medical Ward carrying supplies for both. River motioned with a hand. "Welcome to headquarters." He strode across the room and Cross followed him, looking over the brightly lit room with a look of semi-approval. Before the two could reach the Workstation tunnel, Jerry suddenly called out to them, joy in his voice.

"Chief River!" He called, River sighing and turning to see what the cook wanted. Jerry smiled brightly and waved a plate. "Dinner time for the big heroes!"

The man shook his head and replied, smiling weakly, "I'll be there in a bit. Oh, prepare one more for the General." Jerry blinked, looking at Cross. He squealed like a fan girl and set to work on a second plate, practically singing. River shook his head and continued into the tunnel, the General at his heels.

The workstation was a simple square room, not as well lit as the living area, with a U-shaped table with rickety chairs set around it. Plans and maps hung on the walls, papers were scattered across the surface of the table and a tool shelf rested along the back wall along with an old radio. River dropped into the chair that seemed the least comfortable and motioned for Cross to sit as he said, sounding tired as he rubbed his eyes with his palms and rested his elbows on the table, "Alright, General. Tell me what's going on. What news could possibly make my life brighter?" Before Cross could answer, River pulled out a gun and pulled the trigger, a stream of water hitting the lit cigarette and putting it out. He glared at the General and added, "No smoking."

Mildly amused and mostly irritated, Cross flicked the soggy cigarette into a nearby trash can. He laced his fingers together and spoke calmly, watching as the scientist dug around in a cooler under the table and pulled out a boxed juice. "How many Exorcists do we have?" River hesitated, his expression saddening as he dropped his gaze to the table and fingered his boxed juice.

"Three until recently. Apparently Bak Chang has just realized his own Innocence. It's a Parasitic type." Cross grimaced. Four Exorcists wasn't a good number, especially since there were hundreds of thousands of Akuma roaming the world.

"Which ones are left?" River's hands shook as he tried not to crush his drink, gritting his teeth as he answered softly, the memories still too painful.

"Allen Walker. Yuu Kanda. Rabi, and Bak. However, we have a Noah on our side." He could feel Cross's surprise and spoke. "Tiki Mikk, the Noah of Pleasure. He fell in love apparently." Cross nodded slowly, watching the scientist calmly. The younger man seemed to have a lot of emotional baggage, but he was still a scientist, one who didn't really know what the field was like. However, he had to admire the way he was handling things. Security was tighter then it had ever been, every person had to go through tests and each new person was checked by Allen before their personal information was taken for later security questions.

He reached into his coat, pulling out a parcel wrapped in a cloth. He set it in front of head of the Science Department and said softly, "There's hope left, old boy." River looked up at Cross, then down at the package, slowly releasing his grip on the no-longer cold juice box and carefully unwrapped the parcel.

A soft green glow flooded the room and the scientist could only stare in awe. It had been two years since he had last seen an Innocence and he had to admit it: it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. A look of renewed hope crossed his face as he grabbed it up and ran from the room. Cross smirked as he heard River calling for the remaining scientists. The man returned with six other scientists in tow and they poured over the Innocence as if it were some sort of alien artifact.

The General swore he saw tears in River's eyes, but the man quickly wiped them away and began talking excitedly to the other Squints about how to test for compatibility without Hevlaska. After listening to them for several minutes, the redhead finally spoke, startling the scientists. "I know who's compatible with it." He was swarmed by the scientists and had to literally bat them away. He stood and adjusted his hat, smoothing out wrinkles in his old Black Order uniform. He raised a gloved hand and pointed past the eager scientists. "Him. River Wenhamm." River stared at the other man in shock, nearly dropping the notepad and pen he was scribbling ideas onto.

"Me…?" He glared at the Exorcists General and snapped harshly, "How can you know this? Hevlaska is dead. She was the only one who could tell who could use Innocence without being turned into a Togachi!" The redhead pushed past the others in the room and grabbed River's arm, yanking him close and snatching up the Innocence. He pressed the object into the shorter man's hand. "Ah! What are you…?" Cross released his wrist and backed up a step, watching as River looked at the Innocence in his hand.

It seemed to pulse in tune with his heart beat, the light brightening, then dimming in a repeating pattern. It felt warm in his palm, but not hot, and seemed to make him feel like every ounce of energy he had spent in the past two years had returned to him. He blinked when Cross took the Innocence from him and put it quickly back onto the cloth. "It didn't burn, did it?" The scientist shook his head. "Then you're the one."

"But…General…" One of the scientists he didn't recognize spoke up. He was a nervous looking man with straw-like blonde hair that covered one eye. He sort of actually reminded the General of a sheepdog. "How did you…?"

River shook his head. "Will, hold on." The sheepdog guy blinked, his sad looking brown eye giving him a permanent kicked puppy look. "I'm sure the General has his sources. We can question him later. Until then," He smiled weakly to his friends. "Let's just get some food. I'm too tired to pour over the details right now…" He folded the cloth over the Innocence and stuck it in the tool case and headed out of the room, though he looked about ready to pass out on his feet.

Cross followed them, watching as River, the only one not celebrating, sunk into a seat in the back and rested his forehead in his palms. The way the man only smiled when his teammates looked at him made the General realize that the man, while strong on the outside, was just as sad and broken as the rest of them, but he kept face to encourage the others. He accepted the plate Jerry offered him and leaned against a wall, keeping an eye on the leader of the base of misfits and lost souls as the others celebrated.

_Squad Leader River Wenhamm…thought you were just a Squint. Guess I was mistaken. _Cross raised a glass of cheap wine he had suddenly been handed and called out, startling River from his own thoughts, "To River Wenhamm, the newest Exorcist." The cheers that erupted were louder than Cross had expected and the redhead chuckled at the blush that colored the other man's cheeks as he was clapped on the back and congratulated by Bak, Rabi and a man the General could guess was Tiki. _So, River. Let's see just how far your resolve goes._

**A/N –** Well, chapter one wasn't too depressing. Just the introduction of one of the many OCs that will be needed to fill in the blanks of the other unnamed Finders and scientists and the beginning.

Also, I'm sorry if it seems a bit confusing. It's my first AU story and I'm not exactly 100 certain how to handle it, but so far I'm pleased with it. Please stick around and Read and Review!

Until next time!


	3. Chapter 002: Hold in the Pain

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN D

**DISCLAIMER:** I DON'T OWN D.GRAY-MAN OR ITS CHARACTERS!!

**Summary: **River is getting sick and tired of living like a rat, but is unable to do anything without risking every life he's been taking care of. A heavy amount of guilt doesn't help and he finds himself in a deep depression and Cross overhears one of his mumbled rants and makes one thing clear to the scientist: He's there and not budging an inch. But things only get worse when the Akuma attack…CrossRiver

**A/N –**The first actual CrossRiver moment in the entire story! Yays! I'm so excited about it, as I think these two may wind up being one my top favorite pairings in D.Gray-Man.

Uh…nothing else to say.

Enjoy!

**Afterglow**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

**Chapter 002 – Hold in the Pain (Hidden)**

"…And that is the personnel report, sir." A scientist named Jack sat down after reading the roster. Over the past four days, the loss of Finders had been increasingly high and River felt a panic attack coming on, but hid it as well as he could. He swallowed hard, trying very hard not to start crying from all the stress he was under. He nodded a bit and asked for the next report in the voice of a man losing hope.

Cross was watching the meeting from beside the blocked off entryway, his arms crossed as he watched the look of distress that flickered across River's face each time bad news hit him and the man could only take so much bad news before dismissing the meeting entirely. The Exorcist waited until everyone else had left before moving over to stand across the table from River, the shorter man shuffling papers with shaking hands. "Someone's stressed." River jumped and nearly dropped his papers as he shot Cross a mildly panicked look before sighing in relief and slumping in his seat.

"G-general." Cross put his hands on the table and leaned on it slightly, watching River as the scientist mumbled, "What is it this time? If it's about the alcohol again, I'm going to take the bottle and shove it up your ass." The redhead opened his mouth to speak. "And no, you still can't smoke in here. No, you can't sleep with any of the women. No, you can't gamble away everyone's clothing. And finally," He half-glared at Cross, his nerves frazzled. "No, I will not allow you to teach anyone any of your vulgarity."

Cross blinked at him. "Can I breathe at least?" River sighed.

"Sometimes, I really want to say no to that one." The scientist mumbled as he stood, turning away and trying his best to sort his papers out so he could actually understand them whenever his head wasn't throbbing. He heard Cross round the table followed by the older man's scoff. He rolled his eyes and tried to ignore him, but found that quite hard when he was suddenly shoved against the tool shelf, the General pinning him against it with his body. "General! Get off of me!" River snapped, glaring back at the man. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Calming you down." River growled and struggled to get away, freezing when he felt the older man wrap his arms around his waist. He blushed as one of Cross's hands rested over his pants, the other sliding under his shirt and rubbing his stomach. He opened his mouth to yell at Cross, but his words only came out as a whimper when the man behind him kissed his throat.

"Stop…this, this isn't…ow!" He winced when Cross bit his neck.

"Shut up and relax." Cross smirked when he felt River shudder, the redhead running his tongue across the other's neck and nipping at his ear.

River floundered for a thought and finally stuttered out, face flushed as he felt the hand on his stomach undo his pants, "Stop it…! I can't…I'm not…" He bit back a moan when the redhead, ignoring his weak protests, reached into his undone pants. The scientist whimpered and covered his mouth with his hands, closing his eyes tightly as he trembled when Cross pressed closer.

Cross smirked as he felt the scientist slowly relax, giving in as the much more experienced man toyed with him and left dark marks on his throat. He felt the man against him shudder and heard him emit a muffled cry into his hands. Slowly, he withdrew his sticky hand and backed away, licking his fingers clean as River sunk to his knees and tried to remember how to breathe, tears in his eyes. "Listen, Squint." River slowly lifted his head and looked back at the General, breathing heavily and glaring as much as he could. Cross knelt beside him and lifted his chin a bit more. "You may try to push everyone away, but I'm not budging." He leaned down and kissed River's lips quickly and just as suddenly as it had come, it was broken and Cross was out the door.

The scientist, stunned, tried hard not to think of the fact that a man (a very sexy bastard) had just touched him in the most intimate of ways and then left like the wind. Slowly, he fixed his pants and hurriedly cleaned the mess he had been forced to make, blushing as he thought bitterly, _Goddamn General! I'll kick his sorry ass the next time I see him! Not only did he…_he shook his head. _No! I will NOT think about that. But I will at least beat the shit out of him for kissing me. Then, when I'm not traumatized, I'll throw out every single bottle of wine we have. _He smirked. Oh, that would make Cross pay. If there was one thing a drunkard like Cross hated, it would for all the rum and booze to be gone suddenly. _That'll teach him to mess with River Wenhamm!_

In the middle of his inner rant, he paused, a look of realization crossing his face. He didn't feel as tense as he had before, and he had actually completely forgotten about everything that had gone wrong in his life over the past two years. _He…did that knowing I'd be too angry to be stressed…?_ He sighed, throwing away the cloth he had used to clean and stood as he rubbed his neck. He could still feel Cross's lips on his skin, and no matter how hard he rubbed, he just couldn't get the phantom feeling of the General's kiss to leave. "Stupid General…"

* * *

River knocked lightly on the side of the Medical Ward entryway, a flower in his hands. Kanda looked up, giving the man a tired look. The younger male had his hair down from its usual ponytail, and his eyes had dark circles under them from days without sleep. He stood slowly from the chair and left the room, ignoring River as the man patted his shoulder and whispered, "Don't worry…he'll come around someday…"

The scientist looked at the hospital bed, his expression saddening. Komui sat as still as stone, his head bowed and eyes void of life as he held a bandaged hand to his chest, a piece of dim Innocence. A bowl of soup sat on the bedside table as Kanda had tried, once more, to feed him to some success, a plus in River's opinion. His dark hair was damp from a recent washing and his white medical shirt was damp on one shoulder, Kanda's tears still fresh.

Slowly, River moved forward and sat in Kanda's place, setting the flower on the bedside table as he said gently, hoping that his boss would hear him, "Komui…you made Kanda cry again…" The man didn't respond. "Please…I can't do this alone anymore…!" River bowed his head, clutching the hem of his shirt in his fists and trying hard not to cry. "I can't handle this…all the fighting…losing everyone. You always made it with a smile…how…how can you expect me to do it too?!" He yelled the last part, banging his fist against the table and rattling the bowl.

He bowed his head, his fist shaking. "I'm not you…I can't make everyone happy. I can't save even one Finder. His family…" He tensed when he felt hands cover his eyes and tilt his head back. He felt lips against his own and tasted on the other's breath the subtle taste of nicotine.

The kiss was broken, but the hands didn't move, keeping his vision obscured. "They're dead too. Think about it this way, Mr. Sensitive: Wouldn't you be happy…being with the ones you loved?" The hands moved from his face and he blinked, his eyes adjusting to the sudden light. He stood and looked around, blinking when he didn't see anyone. The voice was Cross's, he knew that much, but the kindness was probably imagined. The General was never kind, even to his student.

He sunk back into his seat, touching his lips with the back of his hand. _Cross…I don't understand that guy at all…_

_"Warning! Warning!"_ He looked up sharply when the alarm blared. _"Akuma have invaded base! All civilians report to escape route B! I repeat…_"

River swore and stood, sliding under Komui's arm and half-dragging him out. The central living area was in chaos, people, Finders and the few civilians they had in their midst, running around and pushing and shoving as they tried to make their way to the Survivor's dorms. He stopped a Finder and passed Komui onto him, moving to direct the civilians into the escape tunnel, which would take them to the border of France.

"Allen!" The boy looked back at him from the main entryway into the hideout. "How the hell did they get in?!" The boy shrugged, a look of panic on his face as he turned away. Rabi and Tiki joined the younger Exorcist's side, the three running to try and slow the Akuma assault. The scientist swore under his breath and, once everyone was through, ran to check the rest of the base over, making sure that no one got left behind.

He slowed beside the stone pedestal and grimaced. The Finders had slaved over the marker for days, carefully engraving the name of each of their teammates and the lost Exorcists into a chunk of the old Black Order building. With a groan, he touched the surface and mumbled, listening as the sounds of battle got closer, "I hope they'll forgive me…but it's all I can do." Allen, Rabi and Tiki ran past him, and he kicked the base of the monument, dropping to a knee and grabbing a piece of machinery from a panel that had opened at the kick.

He lifted a massive gun that resembled a sort of thrown together bazooka and aimed it at the only entryway into headquarters. "Get going! I'll catch up shortly!" He yelled when Allen called out for him. He swallowed hard, waiting for the Akuma to come into view.

A massive claw slid from the shadows slowly, almost as if waiting to draw out the anxiety that the lone scientist was feeling. With unanticipated speed, the Akuma, a monstrous animal-like creature that didn't look like any of the Akuma they had seen before, lunged forward. River's eyes widened in shock and he fired as he tried to scramble back, stopping only when his back hit the monument. The round flew into the monster's mouth and exploded, sending pieces of the demon in all directions and sending blood splatters across the room.

_Akuma blood…!_ River shielded his face with his arms, though he doubted it would protect him at all. _Shit!_

"_Grave of Maria!_" A coffin was thrown in front of him, the blood and Akuma shards hitting the surface of the wood as it crashed to the ground at his feet. The scientist lowered his arms staring in shock at the coffin that seemed to appear out of nowhere. The lid opened and a woman, inhuman in her beauty and butterfly-styled blindfold, stood, her arms spread to the sides as if to shield him from future attacks.

Cross stepped between the partially destroyed Akuma and River, his gun in hand. The redhead smirked, aiming the gun at the Akuma as four more entered the room, though they were in much better condition than their brethren was. "Let's dance."

**A/N – **Woohoo! Chapter two is done! Wee! A bit shorter than the rest of it, but oh well. Cross's last line just seemed to be the perfect, D.Gray-Man-ish place to end the chapter at.

Anyway, that's all! Oh, and beware. This entire story was inspired by carnival toffee. Well, thanks for reading, and please read & review!!


	4. Chapter 003: Pray for Absolution

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN D

**DISCLAIMER:** I DON'T OWN D.GRAY-MAN OR ITS CHARACTERS!!

**Summary: **With General Cross holding off the strange and incredibly strong Akuma, River is left to sit inside of Maria's shield. But when the Science department runs to help, what can our unexpected hero do to protect his friends against Akuma strong enough to slow down Cross? CrossRiver

**A/N – **Well, by demand of my beta reader AkaNoMarduk, I am proud to bring you chapter three of the first ever CrossRiver story. Wow, I'm just one of those people that goes against the flow all the time, eh? First there's the TikiRabi, then the BakAllen…jeez. I hope this one catches on as much as TikiRabi has. Heehee.

Anyway, I hope you guys will keep up with the story and since we've been short on angst in my opinion, expect a little bit this chapter. I SWEAR! At least ONE of my readers WILL cry! I hope. –sniffle-

Enjoy!

**Afterglow**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

**Chapter 003 – Pray for Absolution (Hymn)**

River felt his entire body shaking as his fear ebbed away, his adrenaline, the only thing keeping the gun from falling, gave out and he sunk to a seated position, the gun clattering to the ground beside him, it's single round spent. _I should have destroyed the tunnel. We could have come back for the monument._ He thought, suddenly feeling very useless.

Cross, as if sensing the other man's distress, spoke calmly as the woman beside him began to sing, "_Magdala Curtain_." A dome of light fell over River and the monument, and the scientist was surprised when the Akuma began looking around for him, as if he were no longer there. The redhead cocked the hammer of Judgment and smirked, firing. River covered his ears as the gunshots echoed throughout the room loudly, the sound startling him even though he had been expecting it.

He looked up, watching the fight with wide eyes. He stared between Cross, the Akuma and Maria, trying hard to remember where he had heard the name before. Sadly, the gunshots and crashing sounds made by the Akuma as they attacked Cross and missed didn't help and he wound up absorbed in watching Cross fight. The redhead, for a smoker and a drunkard, was agile and surprisingly light on his feet, easily avoiding the attacks and firing off shots from Judgment into the thick armored sides of the monstrous Akuma.

_He's…no wonder he's a General…he's so fast! _River was startled from his thoughts when he heard someone, Will the sheepdog-looking scientist from the sound of it, yell from behind him. _Will…!?_ River looked past the monument and felt panic tighten in his chest as he watched Will and a few other scientists run in holding talismans.

Will swallowed hard and took a deep breath before running past an Akuma and toward the workstation. The Akuma turned and lunged at the small scientist's back, stopping only when it crashed into a talisman created shield held by five other scientists. They groaned and slid back a couple inches as the Akuma pushed and shoved against it, trying to get at the humans as it let out an inhuman roar that sent a wave of terror through River's spine.

"Will, hurry! We can't hold this much longer!!" Jack yelled back, cringing when a crack appeared in the barrier.

"Cross!" River shouted, hoping the man could hear him but to no avail. Apparently the General couldn't hear him over the roars of the Akuma and the gun blasts from Judgment. He turned his attention back to the scientists when they cried out, the shield breaking and sending them sprawling. One of them screamed as the Akuma attacking them pinned him to the ground with a massive claw, easily and swiftly ripping him to shreds with its teeth and claws. "Son of…" River fumbled in the open panel for spare ammo, finding only one and shoving it into the bazooka.

He scrambled to his feet and ran out of Maria's illusion barrier. He aimed the massive gun above the Akuma, unable to shed a tear even as he watched his comrade's mangled body get tossed aside. The moment the Akuma's head was turned even slightly in his direction, he shouted, "Get down!" The other scientists dropped to the ground as River fired the last shot he had into the ceiling, knocking chunks of rock, stone and earth onto the monster, effectively burying it. He lowered the gun and ran to the side of his friends, helping them up as he snapped, "What the hell are you doing?! Get back to safety before that thing gets back up!!"

Will exited the workstation, a bundle in his arms. The other scientists smiled weakly, dirty and a little singed from the explosion. "We couldn't leave without your Anti-Akuma weapon, sir." He stared at them in shock, unsure of what to say. They saluted. "We're not gonna let you down, sir!"

"You…" River swore as the Akuma unburied itself faster than he had anticipated, shaking dirt from its armored body. Coughing and blinking away dirt as it stung their eyes, the scientists backed up, River staying between them and the Akuma even though he was holding a useless weapon, his Anti-Akuma weapon wasn't finished yet and he had five people to keep safe. The Akuma glowered down at them, its crimson eyes peering down at them from through black, cracked, bone-like armor as it snarled, taking a step forward.

Cross dispatched the remaining one of the four he had been fighting and turned to see where the fifth had gone off to and grimaced. _Stupid…!_

River glared back at the Akuma and swallowed hard. Even he could see how useless he was at the moment. Without any weapons but a useless sidearm, he was no more helpful than a stick against a titan. The Akuma lunged forward, River's only defense being to close his eyes and brace himself for the final blow. A gunshot fired and the Akuma crumpled to the ground, dead from a single gunshot to the back of the head. River sighed in relief, glad that he and the others were still alive.

Cross stepped over the vanishing remains and stared down at River with his visible brown eye. The scientist yelped in surprise and pain when the Exorcist slammed the back of his hand and affectively the side of his gun into the man's cheek, the force nearly knocking him over. A bit of blood dripped from River's newly earned split lip as he glared defiantly at Cross and snapped, holding his cheek as he straightened, "What should I have done?! Let them die?"

"They were stupid enough to come into the battlefield armed with only a Talisman. Of course you should have let them die." Cross said coldly, glaring at the other male as if blaming him for wasting precious energy. River grit his teeth, clutching a fist at his side and fighting against the urge to punch Cross.

Instead he growled, his restraint obviously forced, "Then why didn't you just let that thing eat us? Why risk saving us when all we are, obviously, is a waste of your precious time and energy, General?"

Cross seemed taken aback by the questions, but didn't get a chance to answer before several more roars echoed from within the darkness of the entry tunnel. Swearing under his breath, the General grabbed River's arm and dragged him toward the escape route, waiting until the other scientists entered before shoving River inside and following after him. River glared at Cross, but said nothing as he and the remaining scientists grabbed a well-hidden handle and shoved a massive iron door across the entryway, leaving them in pitch black darkness.

The only light came when Cross withdrew his lighter and a cigarette, lighting the end of it and sticking it between his lips. He adjusted his hat, which had surprisingly stayed on his head the entire time, when dim red lights came on, followed by a blast of ice cold water hitting the glowing tip of the cigarette and Cross's face, drenching both. He glared after River as the scientist slid a water gun into the folds of his coat, leading the slightly dinged up scientists down the long stone tunnel as quietly as possible.

"Um…" Cross glanced down at the small sheepdog-looking scientist, who swallowed hard and hugged the bundle closer in trembling arms. "Mr. Exorcist…? Why…why _did_ you save us?" The man stared down at the scientist, who looked up at him with a woeful brown eye that peered through tangled, straw-blonde locks.

"I felt like it." He replied coolly, looking away from the blonde and flicking the wet remains of his cigarette away. He heard River scoff and smirked, closing his eye and following the scientists still. "Oh? Can you think of another reason, Squint?"

River glared ahead, refusing to look back at the other man as he spat through clenched teeth, "You need us for something more than likely. Is it the Innocence? The sacrificial lambs? Which is it, General Everyone-but-Me-is-Expendable?"

Cross chortled, irritating River. "Oh, so now I have a nickname? How boring though. A scientist of your caliber could only think of the plainly obvious?" River growled low under his breath, his fists shaking at his sides as he fought back the growing urge to beat the General to a pulp and leaving him there. Maybe then the redhead would shut up and start realizing that other lives were at stake. "So drab."

The rest of the long and tense journey through the dimly lit tunnel was spent in silence, none daring to break River's train of thought for fear of getting yelled at. Cross watched River's back as the man walked ahead of the small group, noting the way the other man's shoulders were tensed and the way his head was bowed slightly as if depressed or in deep thought.

Due to lack of energy, they were forced to take a break for the night. Will and the remaining four scientists were sound asleep in a crevasse in the wall while River sat outside of the cramped area for escapees too tired or injured to go on. Cross stood across from him, his arms crossed over his chest and hat tipped so that his expression was shrouded by shadows.

Neither said a word, either unwilling to break the heavy silence or unable to think of anything to say. River pulled a knee to his chest, sighing and resting his head against the old stone behind him, closing his eyes as if to sleep. He jumped when Cross spoke suddenly.

"No tears this time?" River glared at him, but said nothing, simply closed his eyes again and tried to ignore him. He heard Cross scoff. "Emotional cripple." The scientist, irritated, opened his eyes and glared at Cross again, as if daring the man to say it again. He stood, wincing slightly when his back popped.

"I'm not an emotional cripple. I'm not like you." Cross feigned pain, putting a hand to his forehead and pretending to be hurt by the other man's words. The shorter male just turned away, deciding it would be better to just ignore Cross than put up with his melodramatic bullshit.

The General's expression became serious as he dropped his arm to his side, watching River's profile for a moment before sighing. "You're right: you're nothing at all like me."

He pushed away from the wall, catching River's attention with the movement. Cross stepped toward River, lifting a gloved hand and putting it against the bruise on River's cheek, the scientist slapping the offending hand away as he snapped, "What the hell is it this time?! I swear, if you molest me again, I'm killing you!" Cross seemed amused at this, moving to touch the scientist's face again, only to get his wrist grabbed and pushed away by the angry scientist. "I'm serious, General. And what brought on this 'emotional cripple' crap?"

Cross kept a serious look on his face as he spoke, his voice quiet but harsh. "No, this time, I'm asking the questions and you're going to answer them whether you want to or not, Wenhamm." River flinched at the tone in the other man's voice, but didn't back down and only tightened his grip on Cross's wrist. "Just look at you." He motioned to River with his free hand. "Even when it's not in the middle of retreating, you push everyone away with your awkward smiles and the look in your eyes is enough to make even me feel bad. Why not let at least one person close?"

River stared at him in shock, surprised that the General's questions seemed to be about him. "What are you…?" He backed up a step when Cross moved toward him. "I can't a-"

The General watched River's face as he said calmly, as if the words were completely natural to say, "Let _me_ in."

River looked taken aback, unable to keep the blush from rising to his cheeks as he stuttered, backing up until his back hit the wall, "W-w-what? General, that's…"

"I don't give a rat's ass if you let anyone else near you, but I'm _telling_ you to let. Me. In." River was confused. Surely this had to be an Akuma in disguise, as Cross would never say something so…strange. But his demanding tone and the way he seemed to see right through the scientist made him rethink this. Maybe Cross was drunk on nicotine withdrawal.

The shorter man glared at him, though he knew it only succeeded in making him look tired. "I can't."

Cross snorted and leaned forward, putting his arm against the wall beside River's head to block a potential escape route. He brought his face close to River's as he replied in a harsh tone, "Why? Because you're afraid I'll die too? Just like everyone else?" The scientist cringed visibly, looking away, unable to say anything in response but a weak proclamation of protest. "Are you afraid I'll die in your arms like Rinali did Komui?"

At that, River closed his eyes, trying his hardest to block the painful memory as he growled, "Stop it…"

Cross pushed on, knowing the memories were painful, but he needed to make his point clear. "Or maybe you're afraid I'll get my gut slit open like Johnny." The shorter male glared at him, tears in his eyes.

"Shut the hell up!" He yelled. A couple of the sleeping scientists groaned, but none of them woke even at the echoing outburst. Cross studied his prisoner's face for a moment, watching the tears that threatened the fall should the man push on any further. Sadly, he wasn't going to give up just because the scientist was afraid to look at the past.

The General tried tugging his arm away from River, but the man, in his frustration, only tightened his grip on the redhead's wrist. Shrugging a bit as if the fact that his arm was restricted didn't bother him, Cross continued, lowering his voice so only River could hear him. "You've been running from the past for a while now. The more I talk, the more I force you to see what happened and the more you want to shoot me. I make you sick with my remarks, my attitude and the way I even breathe. You're terrified of getting drawn in for fear of losing the last shred of sanity you have. River Wenhamm, I hold your very heart in my hands. And you need to realize one thing, Squint: It's mine now."

River stared at the General in shock, blushing furiously. Now he was convinced this was not Cross. This was probably an Akuma, a bad dream or a stress-induced hallucination. There was no way this could actually be happening to him. G_-General Cross…?_ He tensed when Cross closed the short distance between their faces, pressing a rough kiss to his lips as he held the back of River's neck with his free hand to keep the man from pulling away. His blush darkened when he felt Cross force his mouth open, shoving his tongue into the scientist's mouth. _Oh shit! This isn't a dream or a hallucination! Shit fuck shit fuck shit fuck!!_

Cross pulled his wrist free when he felt River's grip loosen, sliding the arm around his waist and yanking him close as he deepened the kiss further when he didn't feel the shorter man resisting. He watched River's face as the man closed his eyes as if trying to block the whole thing out and broke the kiss, moving to bite River's earlobe. "Ow! Goddamn it, not again!" River yelped, struggling to get away. He tensed when he felt Cross slide his lips to the base of his neck and begin sucking softly on the skin.

The General smirked against his skin as he said, his voice quiet but rough with what River hoped to God wasn't lust, "Think of it this way, Squint." He licked the other man's throat, amused when River emitted a small groan. "I get what I want…and you get to forget about your worries. I think that's a pretty good deal, don't you?" He claimed a second kiss before leaning back and away, looking down at the scientist as the man tried to remember how the think, a dazed look on his flushed face.

Cross released River's waist and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling his face close to his own. He smirked as he watched River muster enough strength to glare at him. The redhead touched River's throat lightly as he growled, his tone sending a shiver down the scientist's spine, "You're mine. And there's no way I'm letting anyone, Akuma or human, damage what I own." He released River's shirt and moved to prop up the wall across from the angry scientist, sitting on the ground and tipping his hat as if to sleep.

_Goddamn him…!_ River kicked the wall and sunk back to a seated position, rubbing his neck and trying, for the second time that day, to get rid of the feeling of phantom lips caressing his skin. He blushed a bit and made a noise of anger, leaning his head back against the wall. _This is the second time he's done this to me...I hope to God he doesn't make this a habit._

**A/N -** -grin- Teehee. I really like this pairing. It's so weird and Cross is super fun to write for!

Well, nothing else to say but…I hope you guys enjoyed both the action and the CrossRiver moment! Until next time…

Ja!


	5. Chapter 004: Scars of Our Memories

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN D

**DISCLAIMER:** I DON'T OWN D.GRAY-MAN OR ITS CHARACTERS!!

**Summary: **The new base, located on the border of France, is run by Fou and the defenses are ten times greater than that of their previous base and they begin to think that maybe they're safe. But when Cross brings up the idea of a traitor in their midst after a small-scale Akuma attack, can River bring himself to point the finger at the only possible suspect? CrossRiver

**A/N – **Yay! Chapter four is in da house!! –dances- Well, since the last chapter was a resounding success in my beta-reader's opinion, I am happy to bring you the next installment!

Enjoy!

**Afterglow**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

**Chapter 004 – Scars of Our Memories (Loss)**

The back-up base was, in Cross's opinion, better than the first one, as it was not located in a sewer, but an abandoned church hidden in a thick forest and covered in vines. It had a certain rustic charm about it, even when a section of the stairs broke when River stepped on it. Grimacing, the scientist looked back and warned the others to watch their step before heading toward the large double doors.

When they entered the church foyer, they were met by a very irritated looking Fou. She stared at them for a moment before snorting and looking away as if sulking. "Tch. Now you guys get here. That freakin' fairy's already cooking lunch and was practically crying in the food because the chief wasn't here." River gave her an apologetic look. "Whatever." She put her hands behind her head, looking over the dirty scientists, then Cross.

The redhead smirked at Fou, the girl blushing and looking away again, a childish pout on her face. She hated men like him, but she had to admit it: he was pretty handsome in a rugged sort of way. Before Cross could act on his natural perverted instincts, River withdrew his water gun and shot the man in the ear, the General reaching up and covering his ear as he glared at River. The scientist smirked and looked back at Fou. "Where's Bak?" She turned on her heel and led the scientist toward the front of the church. "Everyone, head to the kitchen and get something to eat. I'll be right back."

Cross watched River and Fou wander off and through a door that would normally lead to the priest's office, but knowing River, the General was certain that the office was probably some elaborate weapons storage chamber or something to that extent. Mildly curious, irritated and beginning to get just downright angry at the fact that he hadn't smoked a single cigarette in nearly a week, he pushed through the cluster of tired scientists and stepped outside, withdrawing a pack of cigarettes and a lighter as he did so.

Fou opened the door for River and the man gave her a slight nod, signaling that she could go. She left with a grumble and a wave, closing the door behind her and leaving River in the middle of a small, cramped office. Bak looked up from a folder, which he promptly closed as he yelped out, startling River, "I'm not a stalker or a pervert!! I acquired them legally!"

River stared at Bak for a moment, trying to decide if he really wanted to know what Bak was squawking about. Figuring that it would be better for his sanity that he was left in the dark, he just shook his head and said, "Yeeeah. Listen, have you ever heard the name Maria mentioned anywhere? I know I've heard it somewhere…" He rubbed his head and rested his hands on the desk, bowing his head. "But for the life of me I can't remember…"

Bak blinked. "Maria?" He pondered for a moment before a thought struck him. He stood and flipped through a file cabinet for a moment. They had saved some of the Black Order records during their escape and they had been transferred to the church with the ex-head of the Asian Branch during the escape from the sewer hideout. The blonde turned around, holding a thin folder and studying a page. "Hmm…Maria…Maria…Ah!" He set the folder down and turned it so River could see it. "Maria. Last name is unknown. She was an Exorcist until about twenty years ago, when she was killed in action. Her Innocence was a Parasitic type…hmm…according to this, the Innocence name wasn't registered. Strange."

River studied the picture of the Exorcist Maria for a moment, then gasped, grabbing up the photo and staring at it. His eyes scanned over the image, comparing the details to the woman who had been used by Cross to save him. _This is her…everything is just as before…the blind fold, the dress…_He grit his teeth, rage bubbling inside him until he could only toss the photo back onto the folder and run off, ignoring Bak's concerned shout.

He found Cross in the dining room with everyone else eating what appeared to be a very fancy meal complete with wine. Without even realizing it, he found himself shoving past people to get to Cross. The redhead glanced up at him and opened his mouth to say something, stopping when River's fist slammed into the side of his face with enough force to make the General turn his head. River, huffing and puffing and shaking with anger, yelled, everyone else silent and staring at the man after the unexpected physical attack, "How dare you!? You have no right…no right at all to use her like that!"

Cross lifted his gaze to River's as he stood slowly and calmly, wiping blood from his lip. He moved around the table and glowered down at the scientist before saying coldly, "Who are we talking about here? Maria?" River's growl was enough of an answer. He smirked and spread his arms, shaking his head as he said mockingly, "Oh, I see. You're morals are getting in the way again I see…think of it this way, Squint." He jabbed a finger against River's chest. "She wasn't using it anymore."

He was prepared this time, catching River's fist in his hand and yanking him down as he lifted his knee. The scientist couldn't even gasp as his stomach was struck hard by Cross's knee, knocking the wind out of him. He didn't get a chance to recover before he found himself flat on his back half-way across the room. He inhaled sharply, trying to regain his lost breath as he was yanked up by the front of his shirt by Cross, who lifted him off the ground so he could look the man in the eye without leaning down. "-cough- Damn you, Cross…" River choked out through clenched teeth as he tried to pry Cross's hand from his shirt. "Using…the dead like this…"

"Like what?" Cross said suddenly, his voice taking an edge of irritation. "Using it to save pathetic, dirty people like you from their own stupidity?" River glared at him. "Or do you think I do other things to dear Maria's body?" the General scowled, dropping River as he turned away. "I have respect for them. But if they can still be useful, than why not exploit it?"

"It isn't right that's why!" River shouted, his voice echoing in the silent dinning room. "What in God's name would make you use another's body like this!? Answer me, General!" Cross looked back at the man from over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. The General looked around at everyone around them and the silent order was enough to send all but Allen, Rabi and Tiki from the room, the three moving closer to make sure neither man killed the other. "General!" River's distressed voice brought Cross's attention back to the downed scientist, the man sitting where he had been dropped and waiting impatiently for an answer.

The redhead looked away and adjusted his hat as he said calmly, brushing past his apprentice and the boy's friends, "Get your head out of the sand and maybe you'll understand, Squint." With that, he was gone and the others felt it was safe to return and see if the General had gutted River.

Rabi and Tiki helped River to his feet, both helping to steady him as the redhead asked curiously, "What was _that_ about, Ri-chan?" The scientist frowned and mumbled that he didn't really know, pulling away from the two and dropping into a nearby seat. As soon as he sat down, Jerry was beside him with a plate of hot food and a bottle of apple juice for the man, who accepted them gratefully. Rabi looked up at Tiki, who shrugged. "Oiya…Ri-chan?" River grunted in response, holding his head in his hands. The young man put his hands behind his head, blinking at the scientist curiously. "Where'd you learn to punch like that, anyway?"

"Huh?"

Tiki smiled playfully. "When you hit the General," the Noah answered, looking impressed and a little surprised that River had actually landed a blow on the General, even if it was a cheap shot. "We were a bit shocked! Why, A-chan nearly choked on his food!" Allen smiled weakly, blushing with embarrassment. "And Bunny-chan fell off of his chair!"

Rabi grinned at Tiki. "Well, at least I didn't phase through the chair and then get stuck in the chair seat." Tiki averted his gaze, looking abashed at his little slip-up in his surprise.

River smiled weakly. "When you work for Komui," he mumbled. "You have to learn a few things to keep yourself alive." The two Exorcists nodded in agreement, as Tiki had no previous experience with the mad scientist's experiments or insanity. River sighed and began eating, his hunger catching up with him after nearly a day without a single bite to eat.

He surprised himself by devouring four plates of food within half an hour, but he quickly ran off to exercise the extra carbohydrates off before they packed on as weight. Of course, a couple extra pounds would probably do him some good as the man rarely ate or slept, so he was slightly underweight, but not enough to be noticeable.

As he made his way toward the front doors, Fou popped out of the floor in front of him, startling him so much that he yelped and fell over backwards, landing on his rear. He stared at her for a moment before scowling and asking her what she was doing. She grinned at him. "Hey, Baka River!" He scowled at her. "Your fighting sucks!" He glowered a bit more, irritated that she had startled him just to tell him how much he sucked. "Not to be, you know, OOC or anything," He blinked, wondering what OOC meant. She spread her arms and continued. "But I think I can help you out with your lack of fighting skills. I mean, after all! I am the ultimate fighter here!"

He stared at her again, dumbfounded. Fou was offering to teach him how to fight. Either she was joking or she was just looking for someone to beat up. Then again, everyone seemed to be surprising him as of late, so, hopeful for some good news for the day, he agreed and wound up getting dragged out into the forest.

They spent the next several hours sparring, though River spent the majority of it running and trying to avoid getting killed, but as far as Fou was concerned, if he came back alive the training was a success. It was somewhere in the middle of a short break that Fou decided to pester the man about anything and everything under the sun, the topics ranging from food to his least favorite subject of Cross.

She watched River rant for a moment before sighing and kicking him upside the head. "Oh, geez, man. Quit whining about it!" She snapped. "With the passion you put into talking about the guy, you'd think you were confusing some other hormone for anger!" River glared at her, patching up several cuts Fou had delivered to him during their light sparring.

"No. I just _really_ hate the man." She gave him a skeptical look and he yelled, defending what little pride he had left, "I do! Don't you dare give me that look!"

She rolled her eyes, looking away as she smirked and proclaimed, "Well, then tell him. Tell the guy just how much you," she made quotation motions with her hands. "'Hate' him."

River, steamed from the fact that no one ever seemed to believe him when he said he hated Cross and that Cross was just a general annoyance, stood and clutched his fists as he shouted, "Fine! I'm going to look him straight in the eye and tell him what a cheap, lying, no good, rotten, four flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant," He kicked a tree as hard as he could, rattling some acorns free from the branches. Ignoring the pain, he continued. "Bloodsucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed, sack of monkey shit he is! Holy shit, where's the Tylenol…?" Fou stared at him, surprised at how passionate and angry River was with Cross as she watched the man slump against a tree, holding his head in his hand.

"Wow." Was all she could say as the man let out a sigh, as if all the weight of the world had temporarily been lifted from his shoulders. After a moment, she managed to add, "I think someone needs a nap." He glared at her half-heartedly, but he had to agree. Sleep did sound quite nice after a long sleepless night inspired by the fear of getting molested.

They returned to base, the human staggering and trying hard not to fall asleep on his feet as the stress, lack of sleep and physical aches from training and his assault on the tree came back to haunt him. They parted ways and River dragged himself to the showers, then the basement, where everyone slept, intent on getting _some_ sleep before he had to get up and face reality again.

As she watched River stumble off to bed after his shower, Fou sighed and turned toward the shadows by the door of the foyer. "Oi, General Asshole. I think he hates you. I'm pretty sure that if he didn't need to breathe, he probably could have gone on for hours about all the different things you are." The General stepped from the shadows, a smirk on his lips as he withdrew a cigarette and his lighter.

"I see. However…" He turned and started toward the door to sit outside and smoke. "I'd say he's the only one being ignorant at the moment." She sighed, shaking her head. She had figured Cross had followed them, but she had at least expected him to scowl and shoot River because of all the names he had given Cross.

"So…" The girl crossed her arms. "Why are you so soft on him, General? I've heard all sorts of things about you, but the only one you seem to treat half-decent is River." This made the General stop, his brown eye watching the lighter flame as it licked the air, but was a centimeter short of the cigarette end. For a moment, he was silent.

He lit his cigarette and flipped the lighter closed and smoked for a moment, watching the sky from his place in the doorway. He opened his mouth to answer, but paused when a shadow, small and far away, passed over the full moon and fell toward the church, two more at its heels. "Shit." He flipped his coat open a bit and drew Judgment as he sighed.

Three Level Three Akuma land in the foliage around the church even though the field was disadvantageous to the monsters, their size making them easy targets for the General. He listened for a moment as one said softly, not seeing the Exorcist, "_Is this place really it? The one the Earl told us about?_" The second one shrugged a bit.

"_This looks like the kind of place those Exorcists would hide out at…_" Cross fired three shots when he caught a glimpse of each of them, only shifting the gun enough to aim at each one. The battle lasted a total of ten seconds, but that combined with the words of the Akuma was enough.

He turned to Fou and said sharply, "Wake your idiot leader and bring him here." Fou scowled, but followed the order, dropping through the floor to wake the scientist, who was having trouble getting to sleep anyway.

River and Fou came up the stairs and through a door, the man tugging on his lab coat as he asked grumpily, the tired look on his face enough to make even Cross feel a little bad, "What is it, Cross? I would really like to try to sleep at least once this week…"

The redhead waved Fou away, though he knew she would just listen in. Once she was at least out of sight, he turned to River and put Judgment back in its holster and said softly, "There's a leak in the base." River stared at him in shock.

"What…" The General motioned to the open doorway.

"Three Akuma were here a moment ago…" River opened his mouth to argue against the redhead's accusation, but was stopped when Cross said firmly, "They _knew_ about it, Squint. No ifs, ands or buts about it. There is a leak, and I think I know who it is."

River scowled, not liking the situation at all. "Who…" The General leveled him with a calm look, but the scientist caught a glimpse of regret in the man's cold brown eye and his own eyes widened in horror as he breathed, shaking his head, "No…" he averted his gaze, glaring at the floor. "Don't tell me you mean…"

Cross moved to stand next to River, putting a hand on his shoulder as he said coldly, "It's the only possibility. The only one who broke the rules was him."

River slowly looked toward a third door that led to a storage room that was being used for a separate bedroom. He closed his eyes and clutched his fists, refusing to believe it. He couldn't take losing another one. "Cross…there has to be someone else…" The man's silence was all the answer he needed. There were no other options, and nothing else could be done. "No…why would he do it…? He knows the risk…the dangers…"

"Then prove he's innocent." Cross replied. River pulled away from him and the two headed to the third door, the scientist hesitating before pushing it open and flicking on the light, his heart heavy with remorse and sorrow.

Kanda looked up, standing and leaving without questioning either of Komui's visitors as he laid a hand on the hilt of his Innocence as if making sure it was still with him as it had, recently, become the closest thing to him, seconded only by Komui. The two closed the door behind him, River slowly looking at the occupant of the bed. Komui sat silent and still as he always did, the Innocence shard nowhere to be seen. It took the scientist a moment to figure out that Komui had probably dropped it sometime during their escape and was almost tempted to head back down the tunnel to search for it.

"Komui…" The man moved to stand beside the bed, Cross standing at the foot of it. Both studied the scientist, River hoping to whatever God was listening that it wasn't him. The man was crazy, but certainly not crazy enough to allow the Earl to turn Rinali into an Akuma…

Slowly, Komui lifted his head, his eyes clouded with sorrow and tears as he choked out, his voice hoarse and soft, "R…iver…K…an…da…Cr…oss…" River shook his head, hoping to dismiss the tears that threatened his fall. He wanted to call Kanda back in, to tell the man that Komui was responding, but his joy was short lived as he knew it would be.

Cross grabbed River and yanked him back and out the door as Komui grabbed his head and let out a shriek, his flesh tearing as a Level one Akuma burst out, breaking through the roof.

Kanda stared at the two in horror, slowly looking up at the Akuma that hung in the air as terrible and unstable as the Level Ones were normally. "K…omui…?" Kanda gasped, tears that he had always been careful to hide falling down his cheeks. He was grabbed around the middle as Cross ran, holding both River and Kanda over his shoulders and leading the Level one out the door to keep it from attacking and finding the others.

He ducked behind a tree and dropped his luggage on the leaf-covered ground. "…I told you."

River was stunned, horrified at what he had just seen. Never before had he seen an Akuma escape its human form and just thinking about it nearly made him vomit. He covered his mouth and closed his eyes, shaking as he tried to remove the image of Komui, so small and frail in his catatonic state, being torn apart by the monster that had taken his body.

Kanda grabbed Cross's arm as he breathed, "Is that…?" When Cross didn't respond, the young man let out a half-sobbed curse and released the General's arm, letting his arm hang limply at his side. He didn't duck when an onslaught of Blood bullets hit the tree they were hiding behind, his fingers twitching toward Mugen. He drew the sword and ran from their hiding place as the tree fell, Cross grabbing River and moving to take cover behind a second tree.

River swore and reached to grab Kanda's arm, glaring at Cross when the redhead grabbed his wrist and held him back. "Cross!" The man ignored River's struggles and watched Kanda dodge Akuma bullets easily and nimbly, racing toward his target.

"He wants to be the one to finish him. Or rather, her." Cross replied softly, his words enough to silence River, the scientist bowing his head and clenching his teeth.

Kanda lunged forward, swinging Mugen in a wide upward arch. The blade sliced through the Akuma just as it fired several times. His attack struck true, the Akuma exploding as the swordsman landed in a kneel behind where it had been. River ran over to him, freezing in shock as Kanda collapsed to his knees, lifting a hand and grabbing his arm as black stars began appearing on his throat, then face. "K-kanda!!" The man reached for Kanda once more, but didn't complain when Cross grabbed him and held him back.

The swordsman looked up at River and Cross as the other Exorcists and Finders, awakened by the gunshots and explosions, ran to see what had happened. He smiled his first true smile as he whispered, closing his eyes, "I guess…I won't be able to defeat that man any more…" His body crumbled and everyone was still and silent, unable to grasp what had happened.

Finally, Allen was the one who broke the silence with a sob as he turned and clung to Bak, crying in the man's shoulder. Rabi buried his face in Tiki's chest, the Noah wrapping his arms around the redhead and petting his hair gently as the smaller male cried in his chest silently, the loss of another friend weighing heavily on their shoulders. River felt his legs give out from under him, sinking to his knees and staring at Kanda's remains. He felt Cross wrap his arms around him as if to silently comfort him, and the contact was all it took for River to break down into sobs.

* * *

The funerals for Kanda and Komui had been short as all the others had been, but the tears were still fresh for River, who spent the next couple days searching the tunnel for the shard of Rinali's Innocence. When he finally found it, he added it to Komui's grave in place of remains, as there was nothing but a few belongings such as his beret and coffee cup.

He was sitting by the graves, which they had taken great care to place near each other, when Cross found him. The redhead stood behind the scientist as River whispered, feeling Cross's presence, "Kanda…really loved Komui…it wasn't until Rinali died that he realized it…he had become like Kanda, and he wanted to help Komui as no one had done for him…" He hugged his knees close with an arm, reaching out and running his fingers across the carefully engraved letters that spelled the names of their fallen comrades. "…God…why did Komui do it? He knew…"

"Because he loved his sister so much he didn't care." Cross said, laying a hand on River's head. The scientist closed his eyes, fighting back tears. He heard Cross kneel behind him and felt the man's hands cover his eyes as the General whispered, his indifference unnoticeable to River at the moment, "I won't let them see you cry again."

River grit his teeth, crying against his will as he choked, his tears dampening Cross's gloves, "Why…why is this happening…? It's not right…this whole thing…Komui…Kanda…Goddamn it!" Cross was silent as he listened to River cry, keeping his hands over the scientist's eyes as he watched the smaller male's shoulders shake.

**A/N -** -cries- Oh my god! I was crying throughout the entire time I was writing the part about Kanda's death and the "funeral" and I'm _still_ misty eyed! Man, I guess I got the angst I was hoping for…

Anyway, please read & review and stay tuned for more! Oh, and you can thank _National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation _for River's rant about Cross.


End file.
